From cell lines to pseudo-islets: unraveling the influence of hormones on growth and fragmentation

This thesis is structured across three conceptual layers. At the systems level, it examines how pancreatic hormones influence the behavior of native human islets in culture. At an intermediate level, it investigates hormone-dependent regulation of islet growth and formation using pseudo-islets generated from dissociated native islets as an in vitro model. At the molecular level, it focuses on trace amine signaling through the β-cell–expressed GPCR TAAR1 and its role in modulating insulin secretion.